Official Luthiers Forum!

We have finishing knowledge on here aplenty (and other good sources, too).
My question? Where would I find a good tutorial on stripping of finishes?

I have a guy who needs a little help - he just gets too happy with sandpaper and sander, and is obliterating large portions of whole guitars, and I'm not getting through to him.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I don't know a video will fix him......I have a different approach for different types of finish and then that also varies by type of instrument too.

Nitro lacquer I wick off with paper towels and acetone. I have a few of these to do and I'll make a blog post from it so maybe I can help someone. Most poly types I prefer a heat gun on a solid body unless it has a metallic poly.....then we need aircraft stripper. I never use heat guns on acoustic instruments to strip finish. So here it depends a bit on type of finish....if I can use a "safe" stripper I will but solid polyesters like Taylor will need the aircraft stripper.....

Notice nowhere do I mention sandpaper for stripping a finish...... I only want to remove the finish, not any wood. I have seen way to many fine guitars ruined by people, "professional" & otherwise, by sanding off old finishes. Strats that are so thin the trem block hangs out the back....... and acoustics I can see the bracing through the top.....Nope, no sand paper until I am prepping for new finish here.

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Brian

You never know what you are capable of until you actually try.

https://www.howardguitarsdelaware.com/

Agreed, sir - once the instrument is sanded, we don't need to do that anymore.... But some folks - all they know is sandpaper, and usually applied with malevolence. They don't know the difference between stains and dyes, or lacquers and polys - it's all the same to them. And because I'm not a famous guy with a Facebook page and YouTube channel - my opinion doesn't mean crap to him. I need something to convince this ass before he ruins everything he touches.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince